Honestly I feel so bad writing this because I've loved Ayat and their food before but the service was SO horrible tonight I was shocked sitting there. The restaurant should hire true professionals, not high school girls. I feel like the front brunette girl is ditzy and clueless, she didn't take our order until 20 minutes of sitting, we had to literally flag her down to take our order. The red head girls kept being on their phone? The food took FOREVER to come where others who sat after us received it before however I assume it's probably because we ordered makloubeh so it would take a while to make which is totally understandable so l appreciate the cook for taking the time. However the two young girls, one redhead and brunette who served us had us questioning why they were even hired? Literally kept forgetting us and we had to ask for the bill twice in the end because the brunette girl kept forgetting. My thing is it wasn't even busy? I would've understood otherwise but these girls were genuinely careless. Service aside the food was actually good! I really liked the spicy kefta kabab. Super flavorful the meat and rice. The makloubeh was a bit disappointing, I've had it before from here and LOVED it but this time the chicken felt sooo dry. I'd probably get something else next time. I'm super upset about my visit to Ayat tonight because I genuinely wanted to love it as a local and patron that has visited before but the service left me so horrified I think l'd opt for the to go option instead across the street or just opt for better Arab establishments with better service in the area to be honest :( read more

Ayat NYC - Spicy Kefta Small - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Ayat has been one of my favorite restaurants for a long time. The food is usually wonderful, as is the service. Until today. We were in Bay Ridge and decided to grab a quick bite while we ran errands: 4 pieces of kibbeh and 4 spinach pies (we weren't planning on finishing everything). My wife went into the empty takeout location and the staffer told her 15 minutes. At that time, she went in and it wasn't ready. She went in a few more times, every 5 minutes, until we really had to leave. We were left in the restaurant alone, with no explanation or update until about 25 minutes or 30 minutes in, when we were told they were waiting on one spinach pie. The cashier then walked out again, not even offering us the chance to say anything. I would've told her to forget it and just give us what was ready. A few minutes later, we began to walk across the street to the main restaurant, to try to get a refund for everything. The cashier appeared with our bag and gave it to us with no apology for the delay. The spinach pies were good, but burnt. We've always had a wonderful experience dining in at Ayat, but the customer service was definitely wanting today. This is a restaurant I want to support, so I hope they read this and address the issue. read more

Ayat NYC - Spinach pies; tasty but burnt, and took way too long. - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Lots of my friends recommend this place to me, so finally went to check it out. The stuff were very nice, helpful. I like the decor & the vibe. The food was great . I ordered lemon mint drink , mixed shawarma , hot mint tea & one chicken item which I gotta look up the nameI forgot sorry..! My favorite was the shawarma It was huge so for that the price was ok. Otherwise the price is little higher! The restroom was clean, the restaurant is small so they have areas which is cluttered & don't look so good . It's just takes away from this beautiful vibe ! Thank u for the service! read more

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Picked up a to-go order from the little barren location across the street from the dine-in venue. The young woman who took my order was super polite and patient- seamless ordering experience. She said my food would be ready in 10 min- was ready in about 10 min. Great timing. Now, on to the actual food. Zahir (sm) cauliflower - 10/10. Amazing delicious. Hummus (sm) - 4/10 not very tasty. Slightly smoky but Cheese manaqish - 1/10. She charged me for the cheese but lo and behold it was the regular zaatar one. In not going back there to exchange it. $9 for zaatar on bread is wild. Chicken kefta (sm) 4/10 - it's a large dish- with an overpowering amount of rice, salad, that same hummus, and the kefta itself was suuuuper dry. One kefta for all that rice? Come on fam. $50 for this to take out is absurd. I would try a dine in perhaps and would update but this is where it currently stands. read more

My visit here was memorable. The servings will satisfy hunger without painful prices. The cuisine here represents top-tier restaurant quality. Employees assist, stay grounded, and remain true. I'm planning to return to sample different menu items. read more

Maybe if they focused more on the food and service, not political statements, this place would be worth coming back to.

This was my first time at this restaurant. The service was very fast. We came here to break our fast. The mansaf was really good. However I felt like the fetat Lehma tasted kind of dry, there was no yogurt in it and it had rice and shawarma meet. I loved that the core around the restaurant. Also, the mint lemonade was so delicious. I also really like the hummus and baba ghanoush. The restaurant was pretty busy, but the seating was comfortable and there was outdoor seating. Next time I come, I will try the mixed grill. The serving sizes are really large, can honestly share a plate with four people. read more

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I can't stop telling people how much I enjoy eating here. The spot features a distinctive, enjoyable atmosphere. The taste of everything was remarkable. The staff's customer focus is the real draw here. I'm genuinely eager to experience it again. read more

- I like the order and pay first - tasty lemonade - large portions - delicious coffee - menu as not as expansive as that on cortelyou - lots of locals eating their own ethnic food so u know it was authentic - great hummus - great lentil soup - the steak junks are fantastic - steak kebaps were good - service with a smile - small in stature, whole restaurant might be cold if the door stays open too long read more

My friend tells me there is usually trash spilling out of bags on the sidewalk. She ate there and found non-food particles in her meal. When it was brought to the restaurant's attention, they asked her to leave. After reading that the NYC Health Department has closed them down for many filthy violations, I'm not surprised. I haven't eaten there, and from what she has told me, I never will. read more

I have never tried Palestinian food and was so excited to eat here! I ordered the chicken shawarma platter and it was amaaazing! There was so much food that I was so stuffed & skipped dinner. The foods were so fresh and well seasoned. The chicken shawarma was moist, tender and nicely seasoned. Love their salad, babaganoush & hummus! My friends ordered the mixed grill shawarma and they enjoyed it very much! The coffee was strong but good. Staff was very sweet and friendly. Food came out beautifully presented. Loved the decor and artwork. Highly recommended! *You go to the back area where you see the sign "order here" and make your order and pay there. They then give you a number. Find a table to sit & enjoy the atmosphere and food when it comes! read more

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The food here is excellent--if you know what to order. Our first visit years ago left a disappointing impression. After placing our order with the owner while seated outside, our meal was mistakenly packed to-go instead of being served at the table. After waiting 30 minutes with no food, we checked on our order and were handed it in takeout containers, leaving us with no choice but to eat it that way. Fast forward to today, and we decided to give the restaurant another chance, this time dining inside at their second location across the street. The experience was much better. The food was fantastic--we ordered the seven-layer chicken dish, and I'm still thinking about it! The wraps were also incredibly flavorful and well-prepared. I'm not certain if they serve alcoholic beverages, but I highly doubt it. However, this spot is definitely worth a visit, and I'm sure they could craft a delicious mocktail for those looking for a refreshing drink option. read more

Food, staff, and environment was exquisite! I honestly couldn't ask for better. They got their Palestinian food down to a science, and I crave more every day read more

Delicious food, coffee and teas! Staff was so friendly and welcoming. The Brooklyn location was amazing murals inside. Free Palestine! Would 100% come back. read more

Ayat NYC - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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The flavors here go beyond what most places can create. I'm completely addicted to this restaurant! Great dishes and attentive service left us completely satisfied. Every worker shows genuine hospitality. The experience felt special to our group. read more

Despite all the good reviews, our meal wasn't very good. Overcooked, not fresh, not recommended. Do better

Causal Palestinian restaurant by the same owner as the restaurant Al Badawi. We had lamb chops and mansaf (lamb shank) which were both good. The lamb chops were delicious but a regular size comes with only three pieces. The prices are a bit on the expensive side but the portions (minus the lamb chops) are huge. The mansaf came with three large chunks of lamb. They were very tender. Flavoring was ok but still had that strong lamb smell. read more

Ayat NYC - Lamb chops - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I loved everything about our visit to Ayat! The food, the service, the atmosphere - all just wonderful! I cannot wait to go back! read more

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Food delicious. Service kind & professional great music. Nice ambiance. Pretty location. Great selection. read more

Ayat NYC - I love what the bag says Jewish Muslim Christian Whatever your belief is We are all Human And we love you - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I had been meaning to dine here for a while. What I didn't know is that it's super casual and you order at the register, then they bring you your food with paper plates and plastic utensils. I didn't care, food was great. This is about as authentic as you can get for Palestinian food. My family was the only non-Palestinian table there. That's when you know it's legit. Portions are massive. MASSIVE. And considering their size, very well-priced too. It's also cool to see them making fresh pita behind the counter. To start we had the mezze filistini (sampler). So good. My favorite was the labneh. Then as entrees we shared the fattat lahma (the description says it's for two. Can easily feed three and it's $25 which is a STEAL), the keftah bi tahina (it's supposed to serve one but can also feed two), and the lamb chops (large). Fattat was the best, lamb chops were the weakest but by no means bad. I took a star off for the service. When they served us food, they didn't bring any plates or utensils. We had to ask twice for them. Also, we ordered two keftah bi tahini dishes but they only brought out one. It ended up being fine since the portions were so big. read more

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Their dishes deliver satisfaction with every bite. This restaurant creates wonderful meals. The workers deliver exceptional customer care. The kitchen maintains quality and the servers maintain professionalism. I'm definitely returning to this place. read more

I put in a delivery order very late one night this week and when i got the meal, it was missing many of the side items. I thought it could be one of two things - either its late and they probably didnt have it or they just dont serve those sides anymore. i popped in the store the next day to ask and the woman was sooooo apologetic and offered me another meal on the house. I was totally not expecting that and appreciated it so much!!!!! That is amazing service and this will always be my go to place for delivery! read more

One of the best meals I have had in a long time, the food was SO delicious! I got the vegan platter, and oh. my. GOSH! Everything was so incredibly flavorful, I especially loved the cauliflower and the eggplant with tahini and pomegranate molasses. The pita was nice and fluffy and fresh, the falafel were crispy and tasty, the grape leaves were briney and to die for...everything we ate was insane. Service is alright, very friendly, but you have to order at the register which is a little annoying. I also didn't like how they did not serve tap water, and you had to buy bottled drinks. Not a fancy place, and that's totally okay by me, though I'll say there was a bit of a mismatch between the ambiance and the prices. Overall I really enjoyed this meal, and I will definitely be making a special trip to return, salivating just thinking about it. read more

Ayat NYC - Ambiance - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I ordered from here for the first through Uber Eats, and let me just say, the food is AMAZING! It not only arrived at my doorstep early, it came in a gorgeous floral paper bag and was packed with care. The falafel is so flavorful and moist, and the rice is well-seasoned and also very flavorful. I ordered the dolmas as well, which came with six pieces. They were warm and fresh and like everything else, also delicious! May have only gotten delivery but I will DEFINITELY be buying from here again! read more

Ayat NYC - Falafel platter - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I loved this restaurant's ambiance and decor, they really highlight and embrace Palestinian culture. The service can be slow at times if it's really busy, but the waiters are really nice. Food is as best as you can get Palestinian food in the states. Fresh and flavorful, you can tell they really put their heart in the recipes. Alot of the breads are made fresh and warm. The appetizers are really smooth and bright. The meat dishes are thoroughly cooked and tender. The lamb doesnt have the funky taste some places have. The kofta with tahini was very delicious. Very big menu, I can't wait to try the rest of the food. read more

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Food: 5/5 Service: Casual Eatery Ambiance: Casual indoor and outdoor seating The murals inside are gorgeous. And the menu is so unique and tastefully mentions the occupation. The Fattet Jaj was my absolute favorite! Super flavorful rice. And the Muhammarah was so delish. I'm going to try to visit a second time this week! read more

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The appetizers were delicious. The hummus was out of this world. Grape leaves came out hot and were so good. The mocktails were refreshing and not too sweet, just perfect. The main meal was very good.. I would definitely recommend food, service was okay, could o better.. read more

My favorite place to order takeout from, consistently the best quality food. Comes quickly, amazing portions and very fresh. Well packaged with the hummus and baba separate from the rice! I need to come in to eat sometime this summer. Especially the bay ridge location that I know has the rooftop! read more

Wow! where do I start? As I sit here writing this review, I am devouring my platter from Ayat. I've ordered food from Ayat several times and its ALWAYS fresh & delicious. Their portion sizes are super generous especially for the price. At this point I'm starting to think they put Crack in their food (That's how addictive it is) The Mix Shawarma Platter has become my TOP favorite dishes of all time. The platter comes with a piece of pita, thinly sliced up beef & chicken, yellow rice, salad(cucumbers + tomato), babagannoush (probably spelled it wrong) and hummus. All the flavors just pair so wonderfully together. Makes me want to hug the Chef (In the most respectful Way ever) I promise! You can tell that the chefs at this restaurant cook with so much love. I genuinely enjoy their food so much. I wanna run and tell everyone to order from this establishment because I can & I will. SUPER DUPER recommendable. I will also make it my goal to actually stop in here and dine in at this restaurant. (Since I'm always ordering out) See you soon and many more times Ayat. A+++++ read more

Ayat NYC - Heaven - Thats what I will call this plate of food. - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Food is amazing! Tastes as good as it looks, and came out very quickly. Service is wonderful, and answered any and all questions I had. Restaurant is well decorated, and very pretty to look at while waiting for food. read more

Ayat NYC - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The food is great. When ordering locally online I've have three consecutive occasions where food was ordered and not been prepared for over an hour. It's understandable when this is a weekend or if this occurs once. However, I've ordered during a weekday when its less busy and still have this same issue. It frustrating and disappointing when food is ordered online is not prepared until an hour later. I've called the restaurant to follow up on the order and it's taken over 3x calls until someone answers. When trying to follow up on the order the message I've received were blunt followed by being hung up on. I do wish the customer service was better when it came to deliveries and orders online. read more

I came to pick up and ordered from here for more then 2 years very clean and well cooked. The grill chicken cubes are the best the. The shawarma. The lentil soup is average , the turkish style is my pick , the hummus is very tasty and the diced salad is my favorite. However they don't have home made drinks read more

Grade A Palestinian at Ayat. Arrived half an hour after dusk during the holy month of Ramadan and the atmosphere was electric. All seats were occupied and tables were placed fairly tight together. Chatter filled the warm smoke infused air. One could have simply observed the menu based on the orders of surrounding patrons. The lamb kebab was on the drier side, but still enjoyable. The rice, hummus, baba ghanoush and salata complimented the dish very well. Perhaps a minor gripe was that the bread could have been warmer. Service was kind, although the dining room staff seemed timid. Ordered at the cashier and the items were served in a reasonable amount of time despite quite a few orders waiting at the door. Decent value for the amount paid, the large plate was good for sharing with a fellow diner. Tipping was optional although there was a service charge included on the check. If you're in a festive mood and looking for good vibes, I would give Ayat a try. read more

Ayat NYC - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Giving this 3 stars. Might be that we paid for water and didn't receive our bottles till an hour later. Might be that we ordered our food at 7:50pm and didn't get our meals till after 8:30pm (yes, I'm fully aware it was the last day of Ramadan but then again, no dates were given to break our fast, no water (which we had to pay for when NYC tap is free), no table bread..). The customer service needs to be extremely sorted out because this just wasn't it. I understand the place is small and it was a hectic time to eat but really? Not even anyone to walk around and just check up on patrons? Anyways, the food was actually really good and the only reason I'm giving 3 stars. It was so delicious and the portions were huge. I loved the mural in the back and the ethnic plates the dishes came in. I'm an avid supporter of Palestine and definitely loved the vibe of the restaurant and how intimate it felt. I definitely think the layout needs to be changed because the patrons are just left hangry and confused when there's plenty of servers walking around but no one checking up on them. Food is absolutely delicious though. Lesson learned though: don't come here for Ramadan and if you do, expect long wait times. read more

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I'd been wanting to try Ayat for awhile, and they accommodated my group on a busy evening when they were fully booked. The food was absolutely delicious (the mezze platter is great for a group), lovely staff, great value for the amount of food we got, and overall positive experience. Would definitely recommend and I hope to come back soon! read more

Ayat is one of my favorite spots in Bay Ridge, and I think we've ordered from there more than any other place in this area over the past year. The people are friendly, the atmosphere is welcoming, the Palestinian cuisine is delicious, and the prices are reasonable. Everything we've gotten there has been fantastic, and even though we've ordered from there a lot, there are still so many things that sound great that we've yet to try. Our most frequently ordered items are the cheese oven pie and the beef oven pie, which are our pizza-loving toddler's favorites. I'm also a big fan of the kousa mahshi (stuffed squash), kibbeh, ikras bi sabanikh (spinach pie), and fattat hummus with chicken. The dips and spreads are wonderful (I love the baba ghanoush), and one of these days when we eat there in person instead of just takeout and delivery, I'm looking forward to indulging in the mezze platter. Can't wait to try more soon! read more

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The food was amazing! The place is very nice and relaxing. The staff is friendly. 100% recommended

Bay Ridge is a little out of the way for me, but I always make an effort to trek out to this incredible neighborhood for the sheer diversity in cuisines available. I actually tried to go to Ayat twice, but the first time I arrived too early and they were not totally ready to serve everything from their menu yet. But, I made sure to come a little later on my second visit, and was finally able to try their much lauded Palestinian fare. The space is fairly casual. You order at the counter and pick a table and your food is brought to you by the staff. I came in on a Saturday afternoon and several tables had already been occupied. As per the staff's recommendation, we went with the mansaf ($38) which is this giant plate of rice atop fresh saj flatbread with a delicious yogurt sauce and the most tender bone-in lamb chunks. The meat literally fell off the bone with a nudge from my fork; it was heavenly. We also ordered the fattat jaj ($32) which kind of reminded me of a deconstructed, veggie-less shwarma in that it had a heap of roasted chicken layered with rice, chickpeas, mint yogurt, crispy pita chips, and a garlicky sauce that tasted like toum but was creamier and runnier. Personally, I think I liked the fattat jaj more because there were more textures to play with but the mansaf was really well done and so flavorful as well. Both dishes were absolutely massive so I was sadly unable to order any of their dips but we did manage to save enough room for one dessert so we ordered their knafa ($9) which had imported akawi cheese crusted with thread-like semolina dough and baked until orange and crispy and drenched in rosewater syrup. I thought it was an interesting flavor combination as you get the salty, briny flavor of the akawi cheese as well as the sticky sweet rosewater syrup with every bite. The knafeh at Ayat was really interesting because it was the first time I had ever seen knafeh in such a bright orange hue before. Generally, I have only ever seen it in a golden brown color before. A note that a lot of their dishes includes nuts as garnish so I would definitely make sure to let the staff know if you have an allergy. They were very accommodating and made sure to put the almonds and pistachios on the side for us, which was greatly appreciated. A second note that water is not served here so I suggest grabbing a bottle or two of their water or a bubbly apple and hops flavored Laziza ($2.50). We also walked out with a pack of their baklava ($6) which was locally made. All in all, a literal feast with the most generous portions around. We brought home quite a bit of leftovers so I would definitely recommend coming in hungry or with a group of people to break bread with. read more

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Ayat is my favorite dinner place around the area. Always consistently delicious food every time you visit. Have the limonana & grill mix & of course hummus. Shauntel was amazing!!! read more

Ayat NYC - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

My journey to Palestinian cuisine! The restaurant was esthetically pleasing to the eye, they offer indoor and outdoor seats. The staff were very sweet. Everything we ordered was quite delicious. My favorites were the Fattat Jaj and Mint tea! While the food is very good, it's very carb forward lol. I was very bloated for the rest of the day. They didn't have much of a dessert menu. That would've been interesting. Overall, I would recommend this place. I was very impressed read more

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